Project by

About this project

Twenty-eight of our favorite LOUD WOMEN made an original doodle. Whether it's one of the signed originals or a Doodle coloring book with all the doodles, you can take home a little bit of inspiration.

Be Loud Club Member. Basically the keys to the kingdom of Doodle. Besides a massive thank you on the website, sign up for our early, invitation only test phase. But, let’s be clear, test phase is a teen girl only zone. So if you were born before ‘96 (or you are not a girl) you will have to wait for the School to go public. Sorry!

Doodle Den. Join us as a founder of School of Doodle! We'll list you as a member of the Doodle Den on our website and fill you in as our School comes to life. Once we are up and running, you will get a pass to attend one of our live Daily Doodle lessons with a Doodle Hero just for Den members.

Doodle T-Shirt. Or as we call it, a piece of history (only available on Kickstarter).* You will get the official Doodle t-shirt featuring a doodle by the Loudest girl we know—the oh so very kickass Jules Spector aka Teen Feminist. And of course you get all the perks of the Doodle Den.

Glory, Glory, Hallelujah! The original Ms. (Gloria Steinem) is making a doodle in the form of a limited edition t-shirt. Only on Kickstarter and only until August 23rd. So chop chop and support School of Doodle with fifty of your George Washingtons. And full Doodle Den status.

Color with Doodle! One soft cover ‘coloring book’ with all of the doodles from our artists, filmmakers, musicians, writers and activists.* We think everyone can use a little mindless creativity so crack open those crayons, pick one of the doodles and let your colors fly! And, we will say it again, you also get all the perks of the Doodle Den.

One Awesomely Unique Doodle by Olivia Bee. All of 20 years old and a total warrior, this photographer wunderkind is poised to be the loudest of Loud Women. So grab a signed, one of a kind doodle while you can! And, yes, all the perks of the Doodle Den, as well. Doodles are on 11x14” archival paper.*

Right to Choose. We think everyone has the Right to Choose so pick one artist from the list above and receive an 11x14” digital print on archival paper of the original.* Since the artists are furiously working on their doodles, we can’t share them quite yet. But, come on, isn’t the surprise part of the fun?

Five Easy Pieces. Feeling a little Veruca Salt and want it all? This is for you. Pick your favorite 5 Doodle artists from the list above and receive a different unsigned doodle print from each.11x14” digital prints on archival paper of the original.* And, join the Doodle Den!

Kate the Great. Technically she isn’t a queen but we think Kate Costello and her big talent are pretty regal. Get an 11x14” signed limited edition print made especially for Doodle.* Our very first teacher and artist extraordinaire, Kate always manages to deliver a one two punch with a wink and a smile.

Box of Doodles. Why settle for 1 or even 5 doodles when you can own them all? This is Doodle’s box of happiness. Endless hours of enjoyment that might even take your mind off the finale of Orange is the New Black. Complete set of the artists’ doodles accompanied by colophon page.* Digital prints on archival paper of the original. And…join the Doodle Den!

Jackpot! That's the only word that will come to mind when this beauty arrives on your doorstep. One 8.5x11” signed, original doodle, on archival paper, from one of our doodle artists.* Sadly, since there is only one from each artist, you can tell us your top three choices and we will try to accommodate. But let’s be honest, a doodle from any of these women and the extra kick of good karma for supporting Doodle are worth it. Oh and you join the Doodle Den with Extra Loud Honors!

*Delivery Date before December 15, 2014

The arts are being cut from schools and yet all the research shows (look below!) that when teens’ creativity and imaginations are fortified, they excel and stay in school longer as well as develop the necessary skills for future success. And girls, well, read the recent articles on the Confidence Gap in women. If we are going to close that, we need to start with teen girls. NOW.

After extensive research and interviews with teens, teachers and education reform experts, we believe that a girl’s imagination is a right and not a privilege. And, if we don’t fight to protect it, the next generation (of women and men) will suffer.

So we pooled our savings and started to build School of Doodle. But we need YOU to finish it and launch the website. Help us empower the next generation of LOUD WOMEN to excel in all the ways we know possible.

And to sweeten the deal, we asked our favorite loud women to make an original doodle that you can own in one form or another. Those women include:

Still on the fence? Then read below and just try to resist us. From non-cognitive skills to Connected Learning to a lot of smart people talking about the importance of imagination (Einstein and President Obama!), it’s all there. And we think you will agree that science alone didn’t put the man on the moon. The first step was the ability to imagine it. So join the fight for girls’ imaginations!

A peer-to-peer, self-directed learning lab, School of Doodle is dedicated to activating girls’ imaginations through entertainment, education and community. With its free online curriculum, School of Doodle is a new kind of digital learning experience where artists, creators and students are the teachers and imagination and creativity are the lessons.

Everything! Our goal is to make entertainment more educational rather than education more entertaining. Therefore, School of Doodle will be part classroom and part content platform with original programming, created by both teens and professionals, to engage and inspire imagination.

We will launch with lessons, taught by some of today’s most visionary artists and creators, otherwise known as Daily Doodles. At the end of each Daily Doodle, we will issue a Doodle Challenge for girls to take what they learn and start making. And if they are still in the Dabble stage, there is a library of short how to videos (or in Doodle world, How Do videos!) to support them.

Here, check this out:

You'll need an HTML5 capable browser to see this content.

Play

00:00

00:00

And that’s not all! We will have conversations, Q&As and ancillary content all linking to relevant lessons within the School of Doodle community. So if you come in with the intention of Dabbling, you may link to a lesson and surprise yourself by Digging and Doing.

Academics call it grit and your mother calls it moxie, but we call it Being Loud. Being Loud is a philosophy, a battle cry, a habit of mind. Being Loud is demanding to be seen and heard. Embracing every part of you—the messy and the neat. Being Loud is being colorful, curious, compassionate, creative, courageous and confident.

School of Doodle will create a place, through both its online school and offline experiences, where girls can exercise their imagination without judgment or measure.

A place where they expect and demand. Where imagination is a right and not a privilege. Where girls celebrate, and are celebrated for, Being Loud. Where rather than waiting for the world to recognize their value, they recognize it, themselves.

Our girl is a little bit country and a little bit rock and roll. Feminist, optimist, scientist, artist, she is everything and anything. But the one thing all Doodle girls share is a belief (and we quote from the holy grail otherwise known as Bikini Kill’s eponymous zine) that girls constitute a revolutionary soul force that can, and will, change the world for real.

Our Doodle teachers (otherwise known as Heroes) include people like:

Imagination and its partner in crime, creativity, are critical components of non-cognitive skills which research shows are greater indicators of future success than, even, IQ. Qualities like tenacity, optimism, self-expression, curiosity, empathy and self-confidence are developed and strengthened through creativity and imagination.

By exercising their imaginations, girls become more comfortable with risk and failure, develop a stronger sense of self and, in turn, overcome social, cultural, political and physical obstacles, with optimism and confidence.

Arts education plays an essential role in preparing students for success in the knowledge and innovation economy.- President’s Committee on the Arts & Humanities

Students with intensive arts involvement were five times more likely to have graduated high school than students with little arts involvement.- National Endowment for the Arts

Students with high involvement in the arts, including minority and low-income students, performed better in school and stayed in school longer than students with low involvement or none.- National Education Longitudinal Survey

Students involved in the arts do better in school and on their SATs than their peers. Students in art classes learn a remarkable array of mental habits (skills like persistence, expression, observing, envisioning and innovating through exploration) not emphasized elsewhere in school.- Lois Hetland and Ellen Winner, Studio Thinking: The Real Benefits of Visual Arts Education

An arts-rich environment produces:

Student achievement across disciplines

Student motivation and engagement

Development of critical and creative thinking, problem solving and integration of multiple skill sets

Development of social competencies including collaboration, self-confidence and tolerance

- President’s Committee on the Arts & Humanities

“…creativity is as important in education as is literacy and we should treat it with the same status”- Sir Ken Robinson Author/Educator

“To succeed today and in the future, America’s children will need to be inventive, resourceful, and imaginative. The best way to foster that creativity is through arts education.”- Arne Duncan, U.S. Secretary of Education

US school funds for art programs declined by almost 80 percent from the 2006/2007 to the 2009/2010 school year, according to a report by the Center for Arts Education.

According to a 2008 survey of principals, 25 percent reported their art, music, dance, drama, or foreign language spaces to general education classrooms during their tenure.

Budgeting to hire arts and cultural organizations to provide arts education services directly to students has declined by $12.8 million, or 50 percent, since the 2006-2007 school year.

A 2011 national survey by Common Core and the Farkas Duffett Research Group finds that schools are narrowing curriculum, shifting instructional time and resources toward math and language arts and away from subjects such as art, music, foreign language and social studies. 66% of teachers polled say that other subjects "get crowded out by extra attention being paid to math or language arts."

“…arts instruction in schools is on a downward trend. Just when they need it most, the classroom tasks and tools that could best reach and inspire these students–art, music, movement and performing–are less available to them.”- President’s Committee on the Arts & Humanities

We said the same thing when a very smart gentleman who is changing the face of education suggested we look into these magical skills. He was correct. They matter. BIG TIME. Forget about their impact on future success (academic, economic, social) or that they directly contribute to teens finishing high school. These skills can help in closing what has been coined the Confidence Gap in girls. Sorry, not close…eliminate.

Think of imagination and the resulting non-cognitive skills as preventative medicine. Girls who are fortified with optimism, self-confidence, curiosity and tenacity won’t need Sheryl Sandberg (one of Doodle’s favorite Loud Women) with her brilliant Lean In. They will have grown up thinking that leaning in is standing up straight.

Absolutely nothing! We firmly believe that true mastery in terms of knowledge or skill must incorporate physical experience. We are purely extracurricular and a complement to girls’ education. As we like to say, School of Doodle is less education reform and more entertainment reform.

But, we do believe that digital tools provide extraordinary access to learning experiences that might otherwise be impossible. As Mitch Resnick from MIT Media Lab said, “…new technologies lower the floor, raise the ceiling and widen the walls for youth creators.”

An extracurricular activity that complements formal education and gives girls access to today’s most extraordinary creative minds. School of Doodle is a place where girls decide how and when to learn.

Dabble, Dig, Do are School of Doodle’s three paths to imagination. Any participatory community consists of people who are passive and people who are active, but all are engaged. Dabble, Dig, Do are the life stages of School of Doodle, adapting to the creative newbie and the seasoned maker, alike.

Check it out….

Using Doodle Dollars, you can…

Walk in or log on to one of our partners’ stores and “purchase” School of Doodle approved Tools for Imagination (virtual currency in exchange for real things!)

Interact with one of our expert mentors as they teach a live lesson online (Cat Power teaches you how to write a song!)

Join an expert for a local field trip on the set of a film, in the recording studio or in the kitchen of a restaurant (a real world experience!)

Think about it, a currency powered by imagination. Sounds good to us!

Our team is small, but our passion is not! We are a group of women who look up to our 15 year-old selves. Women who are thankful for every teacher and friend who made us bold, persistent, and compassionate. Our Pantheon of Loud Women is dedicated to Patti Smith, Princess Leia, Malala Yousafzai, Martina Navratilova, Anne Boleyn, Joan Didion, Kathleen Hanna, Peppermint Patty, Ann Richards, Sally Ride, Angela Davis and Marina Abramovic, to name a few. We come from a variety of backgrounds-- art and entertainment, business and education-- but are united over a shared belief that the future is spelled G I R L.

Not only is Kate the cool art teacher everyone wishes they had but she also happens to be a kick-ass artist herself. However, in the Doodle world, she is our director of education. Born in Melbourne, Australia, Kate made her way to the States where she received her BFA from Sarah Lawrence College and her MFA from CalArts (not too shabby). Kate’s work has been featured in artforum and she served as artist in residence at Wassaic Project in Wassaic, New York.

How she does it, we have no idea but in addition to Doodle, Kate is Visual Arts Department Chair at Crossroads School for Arts & Sciences in Los Angeles. Doodle LOVES Crossroads. Who wouldn’t love a school that believes “… the arts are an essential part of the curriculum and that it is important for students to express themselves creatively and to use their imaginations freely.”? Not to mention being named after a Robert Frost poem? That certainly takes imagination.

Kate’s Loud Woman: Eleanor Roosevelt

Krissy is Doodle’s master of all things content. A writer and producer based in Los Angeles, Krissy’s pre-Doodle life was as a Development Executive - first for Ashton Kutcher at Katalyst Films and then for Oprah Winfrey as she helped to launch OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network. Krissy ditched the suit and decided to get her hands dirty producing a documentary special for OWN entitled "Oprah Builds a Network". Since then she has balanced consulting for companies including Chernin Media and Glam Media with producing short form & digital content for brands like Pledge, Tide, Purell and Naturemade.

But what we love possibly more than the fact that Krissy actually touched Oprah, is that she recently Executive Produced a series for Rainn Wilson's company, Soulpancake, called "Have a Little Faith". If you haven’t seen it, DO. Pure Krissy genius. And the cherry on top in Doodle’s opinion is that Krissy makes time to volunteer at Chrysalis, an amazing nonprofit organization that provides resources and support to low-income individuals seeking employment.

Krissy’s Loud Woman: Jill Soloway

No, Molly and Elise are not forming a girl band and yes they do have their own identities. However, a single bio seemed appropriate since they make up the single brain behind Doodle. In addition to this one-brainness, Molly and Elise are co-founders of FREDThinks, a consultancy and studio producing content and experiences that inspire imagination (surprise!). Most recently, they executive produced Doug Aitken’s public art project, Station to Station, and clients include Sundance Institute and Film Festival, Absolut, Louis Vuitton, Airbnb and Conde Nast.

Molly’s background is a mix of art & commerce—curatorial assistant at the Metropolitan Museum of Art while pursuing her PhD at Columbia in the History of Photography; Director of Books and Exhibitions for Richard Avedon and founder of Fred & Associates, an agency representing fine art photographers. Elise comes from the worlds of marketing and art having spent ten years as the Events Manager for all Louis Vuitton programs in Europe, Asia and the Middle East. While at Louis Vuitton, Elise organized and produced exhibitions, conferences and special projects with artists such as Shadia & Raja Alem, Ugo Rondinone, Yto Barrada, Jorge Pardo and Vanessa Beecroft. Following Louis Vuitton, she opened her own company consulting for brands, artists and collectors throughout the world. Both share a passion for the powerful combination of creativity, innovation and education.

Molly’s Loud Woman: Jules Spector aka Teen Feminist

Elise’s Loud Woman: Tina Turner

Molly is Doodle’s creative true north. As the queen of all multi-hyphenates, there doesn’t seem to be anything Molly can’t do– illustrator, film maker, animator, photographer, painter, writer, baker, set maker and so on. With a degree in semiotics from Brown (seriously) and a deep respect for the ubiquitous and the mundane, Molly creates worlds and tells stories which make all of us at Doodle want to fall down the rabbit hole or permanently move to the Magic Kingdom. Sold-out exhibitions of her paintings and drawings, music videos for the likes of The Raveonettes and Mark Ronson, commercials for Nokia, Converse, Trident and Levis and her soon to be released short for ESPN’s 30 for 30 series let Molly put her Grade A intellect and off-beat humor to good use.

Molly’s Loud Woman: Edie Windsor

While it feels like she is barely past her Doodle years, Nicole is Doodle’s secret weapon and sage barometer for all things awesome or lame. Art director extraordinaire, Nicole grew up in Ontario (we love Canadians!) just across the river from Detroit. Early years were very Footloose with Nicole jumping the border to see hip hop bands while poring over issues of The Face. After college and a stint in London, working for an art director, Nicole found herself on tour with Feist and, lucky for Doodle, landed on Molly Schiot’s Hollywood doorstep where she worked on projects for Beat Magazine and Hello Giggles. Presently (and we hope temporarily), Nicole is back in Toronto consulting for clients like Pink Tartan, Flare and Bullette Magazine.

Nicole’s Loud Woman: Joan Didion.

Keith Belling, Founder & Chairman, PopChips

Carleen Cappelletti, President, Bounce AEG

Penny Coulter, Philanthropist

Katie Davis, Assistant Professor at the University of Washington Information School

School of Doodle is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization.

Risks and challenges

Risks and challenges…hmmmm. Honestly, we don’t have any in completing this project. If we meet our minimum funding goal, School of Doodle is open for business! And if we reach our stretch goals, we make more content, offer more real world learning opportunities, and are able to add some sassy bells and whistles on the website to make it extra special.

As with any project and especially one where the creators are serious perfectionists, there is always a risk of the launch being delayed. But at the moment, we are on track for a late 2014 launch and do not foresee any issues in meeting that deadline.

In terms of the rewards (yeah, let’s cut to the chase), our rewards are not contingent upon project completion. Our amazing group of Loud Women are making their doodles as you read this. We see no issue in delivering by December 15th and in fact, gave ourselves a substantial runway to account for holiday madness at the Postal Service.

BUT, if you have ANY concerns or questions, we are here and super happy to address them.

How can you NOT find School of Doodle. Through a series of media and corporate partnerships, School of Doodle will have content on a variety of platforms. And don’t forget about all of our expert mentors, they will be Tweeting and posting to their fans and friends about their work with School of Doodle. Good luck avoiding us…

Doodle considers anyone who identifies as female to be a girl. We believe that girls (and women for that matter) come in all sorts of shapes, sizes and colors (all of us at Doodle certainly do!). We will spare you a lecture on gender politics so let's just say that if you feel like a girl, that is good enough for us!

Rewards

Pledge $1 or more

Be Loud Club Member. Basically the keys to the kingdom of Doodle. Besides a massive thank you on the website, sign up for our early, invitation only test phase.

But, let’s be clear, test phase is a teen girl only zone. So if you were born before ‘96 (or you are not a girl) you will have to wait for the School to go public. Sorry!

Estimated delivery:Dec 2014

You selected

Pledge $10 or more

255 backers

Doodle Den. Join us as a founder of School of Doodle! We'll list you as a member of the Doodle Den on our website and fill you in as our School comes to life.

Once we are up and running, you will get a pass to attend one of our live Daily Doodle lessons with a Doodle Hero just for Den members.

Estimated delivery:Dec 2014

You selected

Pledge $25 or more

331 backers

Doodle T-Shirt. Or as we call it, a piece of history (only available on Kickstarter). You will get the official Doodle t-shirt featuring a doodle by the Loudest girl we know—the oh so very kickass Jules Spector aka Teen Feminist. And of course you get all the perks of the Doodle Den.

Estimated delivery:Dec 2014

Ships anywhere in the world

You selected

Pledge $50 or more

124 backers

Color with Doodle! One soft cover ‘coloring book’ with all of the doodles from our artists, filmmakers, musicians, writers and activists.

We think everyone can use a little mindless creativity so crack open those crayons, pick one of the doodles and let your colors fly! And, we will say it again, you also get all the perks of the Doodle Den.

Estimated delivery:Dec 2014

Ships anywhere in the world

You selected

Pledge $50 or more

25 backers

Glory, Glory, Hallelujah! The original *Ms.* (Gloria Steinem) is making a doodle in the form of a limited edition t-shirt. Only on Kickstarter and only until August 23rd. So chop chop and support School of Doodle with fifty of your George Washingtons. And full Doodle Den status.

Estimated delivery:Dec 2014

Ships anywhere in the world

You selected

Pledge $75 or more

30 backers
All gone!

One Awesomely Unique Doodle by Olivia Bee. All of 20 years old and a total warrior, this photographer wunderkind is poised to be the loudest of Loud Women. So grab a signed, one of a kind doodle while you can! And, yes, all the perks of the Doodle Den, as well. Doodles are on 11x14” archival paper.

Estimated delivery:Dec 2014

Ships anywhere in the world

You selected

Pledge $150 or more

56 backers

Right to Choose. We think everyone has the Right to Choose so pick one artist and receive an 11x14” digital print on archival paper of the original. Since the artists are furiously working on their doodles, we can’t share them quite yet. But, come on, isn’t the surprise part of the fun?

Estimated delivery:Dec 2014

Ships anywhere in the world

You selected

Pledge $500 or more

13 backers
Limited (87 left of 100)

Five Easy Pieces. Feeling a little Veruca Salt and want it all? This is for you. Pick your favorite 5 Doodle artists and receive a different unsigned doodle print from each, 11x14” digital prints on archival paper of the original. And, join the Doodle Den!

Estimated delivery:Dec 2014

Ships anywhere in the world

You selected

Pledge $700 or more

2 backers
Limited (48 left of 50)

Kate the Great. Technically she isn’t a queen but we think Kate Costello and her big talent are pretty regal. Get an 11x14” signed limited edition print made especially for Doodle. Our very first teacher and artist extraordinaire, Kate always manages to deliver a one two punch with a wink and a smile.

Estimated delivery:Dec 2014

Ships anywhere in the world

You selected

Pledge $2,500 or more

5 backers
Limited (15 left of 20)

Box of Doodles. Why settle for 1 or even 5 doodles when you can own all them all? This is Doodle’s box of happiness. Endless hours of enjoyment that might even take your mind off the finale of Orange is the New Black. Complete set of the artists’ doodles accompanied by colophon page. Digital prints on archival paper of the original. And…join the Doodle Den!

Estimated delivery:Dec 2014

Ships anywhere in the world

You selected

Pledge $5,000 or more

7 backers
Limited (19 left of 26)

Jackpot! That's the only word that will come to mind when this beauty arrives on your doorstep. One 8.5x11” signed, original doodle, on archival paper, from one of our doodle artists. Sadly, since there is only one from each artist, you can tell us your top three choices and we will try to accommodate. But let’s be honest, a doodle from any of these women and the extra kick of good karma for supporting Doodle are worth it. Oh and you join the Doodle Den with Extra Loud Honors!

Estimated delivery:Dec 2014

Ships anywhere in the world

Funding period

Jul 24, 2014 - Aug 23, 2014
(30 days)

Eureka! You've found our little secret.

Sign up for our Happening email for all the inside info about arts and culture in the Kickstarter universe and beyond.